"Hands of An Artist"
I typically paint commissioned portraits of houses and buildings, something I enjoy doing because I feel I connect with a client, though the dwelling or the memories they have of a certain structure or place. Most recently I was given a unique opportunity to create a portrait commission of a fellow artist's hands, truly a different subject than I am used to doing, but equally as connecting and emotional as any other personal portrait.
I was moved by the request from my friend and at the same time a bit challenged. The objects in the hands have special meaning to this person and they needed to be placed in the hands in this specific way, capturing a moment in time when they fell into the open palms.
Originally we discussed creating a black and white drawing but I felt delicate washes of watercolor would tell the story better than the just black and white marks. The washes were kept simple and light but added the right amount of complexity to the painting.
We often think of portraits of faces, but other parts of our bodies are unique and define us, like the hands of an artist.
